Malaysia’s prime minister said Sunday that the country remains committed to finding missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, which disappeared exactly one year ago with 239 people aboard.
"No words can describe the pain the families of those on-board are going through. The lack of answers and definitive proof — such as aircraft wreckage — has made this more difficult to bear," Najib Razak said on the one-year anniversary of the missing flight. "Together with our international partners, we have followed the little evidence that exists. Malaysia remains committed to the search, and hopeful that MH370 will be found."
No trace of the Boeing 777 — which disappeared during a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing — has been found, despite an exhaustive search. Malaysia's government on Jan. 29 formally declared the incident an accident and said all 239 people on board were presumed dead.
"By the end of May, if we still can't find the plane, then we will have to go back to the drawing board," Malaysian Minister of Transport Liow Tiong Lai said.
Malaysia Airlines held a private gathering to honor the 13 employees lost when the flight disappeared, the airline said in a separate statement, adding that "the search for answers continues."
The disappearance of MH370 on March 8, 2014, was one of two air disasters to befall jets from Malaysia Airlines last year. Another Malaysia Airlines jet, Flight 17, was shot down over Ukraine on July 17 with 298 people aboard.
IN-DEPTH
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SOCIAL
— Phil Helsel
Reuters contributed to this report.